10 Recent Movies Ruined By Unrealistic Expectations

3. Spiderhead

Spiderhead Chris Hemsworth
Netflix

Netflix's Spiderhead releasing just three weeks after Top Gun: Maverick is both the best and worst thing that could've happened to it, honestly.

With both films being directed by Joseph Kosinski, there was the assumption in the weeks leading up to Spiderhead's release that it'd surely be a crowd-pleasing home-run just like Maverick.

This of course ignored that they were entirely different movies with wildly varying tones, and also that Kosinski's filmography to date has been pretty hit-and-miss with critics.

Ultimately Spiderhead was nothing like Top Gun: Maverick - it wasn't a crowd-pleaser, but a more weird and uneven, adult-skewing sci-fi thriller that went to some rather deranged places.

Like Maverick it's beautifully shot and well acted - albeit not on Maverick's level in either regard - yet with mainstream audiences assuming that Spiderhead would offer up similar thrills from the same director, it never really stood much of a chance.

Though Spiderhead did top Netflix's charts upon release, it received wildly mixed reactions from both critics and audiences who were more likely anticipating something quite different.

But by doing even the faintest bit of research about the dystopian short story that Spiderhead was adapted from, they might've had a better idea of what to expect.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.